Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE)

Changes to student funding from January 2027

From January 2027, the UK government will introduce the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). This system is intended to make education and training more flexible throughout your life, whether you want to retrain, update your skills, or take a new direction.

How it works

Learners will have a Tuition Fee Loan entitlement equal to four years of full-time post-18 education*.

The system will be credit-based, so funding will be linked to learning credits. A traditional full-time year is equivalent to 120 credits, and learners can apply for Tuition Fee Loans for a minimum of 30 credits, up to a maximum of 180 credits in any single course year or 12-month period - further credit breakdown can be seen in the table below. An additional entitlement will be available for priority subjects or longer courses, such as medicine degrees.

The entitlement can be used all at once for a degree, or spread over shorter courses, modules or higher technical qualifications over time.

Applications will be made through Student Finance England (or your funding body) - we would recommend applying at the earliest opportunity to check eligibility and remaining entitlement.

*Previous government-funded study will be factored into a learner's 'residual entitlement' under the LLE.

Key changes

The previous rule that restricted funding for equivalent or lower-level qualifications (the ELQ rule) will be removed. This means learners can use their remaining entitlement for courses at the same or lower level than their existing qualification(s). This may help if they are retraining or changing careers.

Living costs

Maintenance Loans will continue to be available for courses with in-person attendance (with exceptions for distance learning students who are unable to attend their course in person because of a disability). Maintenance Loans will be calculated on a pro-rata basis based on the number of credits being undertaken.

A student sits with her laptop open on the table. The background is blurred.

Important dates

Finance applications for courses starting in January 2027 will open in September 2026.

Additional information

Module credits

Modules credits can range from 15 to 60, dependent on the content of the module. See the total credits required for a range of degrees, to allow you to calculate the potential total cost.

Repayments

Repayments begin in the April after a learner leaves their course, provided their annual income exceeds £25,000. Any remaining loan balance is written off after 40 years.